1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers. More specifically, the invention relates to a gas panel for supplying process gases to a wafer-processing platform.
2. Description of the Background Art
Integrated circuits have evolved into complex devices that include millions of transistors, capacitors and resistors on a single chip. The evolution of chip designs continually requires faster circuitry and greater circuit density. As the demand for integrated circuits continue to rise, chip manufactures have demanded semiconductor process tooling having increased wafer throughput and greater product yield. To meet this increase in throughput, tooling is being developed to process wider diameter wafers, for example, wafers having diameters of 300 millimeters (mm).
Wafer fabrication facilities provide electrical power, heat transfer fluid and/or gases, process gases, and the like to a wafer-processing platform such as a CENTURA(copyright) platform. The processing platform has one or more processing chambers, such as an ULTIMA HDP-CVD(trademark) (High Density Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition) chamber. Both the platform and chamber are available from Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. The fabrication facility typically routes multiple conduits providing such power, fluids, and gases beneath a floor or above the ceiling to each of the individual chambers. In an instance where more than one chamber is coupled to the processing platform, the independent routing of these conduits is time consuming and costly. As such, each chamber requires independently installed conduits and testing thereafter.
One solution to address the problem of complex conduit routing and plumbing is the use of a gas panel closet. The gas panel closets have a plurality of individual gas panels capable of providing and controlling the processing gases (e.g., argon, helium, and the like) to numerous processing chambers. For example, a typical gas panel closet comprises 4 independent gas panels that control the flow of the gases to four individual chambers. The gas panel closets are assembled at the wafer fabrication facility and then tested for operability and leaks.
One problem that has been identified is the extensive time it takes to assemble the gas panel closet. In particular, each component (e.g., regulators, manifolds, meters, valves, computer controllers, and the like) must be separately unpacked and installed onto a common structure. This assembly is repeated for each gas panel installed on the closet. Furthermore, if a part fails, then additional time is spent isolating the component that has failed, disassembling the gas panel closet to remove the failed component, reassembling the closet with the new component, and then re-testing the entire unit. As such, the assembly and testing costs per unit are increased.
Furthermore, four individual sets of facilities gas conduits must be provided for each gas panel. As such, where less than 4 chambers are coupled to the processing platform (e.g., only 2 chambers), the remaining two gas panels are not utilized and remain idle in the gas panel closet. Thus, the current gas panel closets are not cost effective to use where the processing platform is configured for less than four chambers.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a gas panel closet that is capable of providing the required gases to a processing platform without having to rout individual conduits to each gas panel for each processing chamber. Furthermore, there is a need for a gas panel closet that allows flexibility at a wafer fabrication facility to quickly assemble various configurations of the gas panel closet without sacrificing assembly quality and increasing costs to the user.
The disadvantages associated with the prior art are overcome by the present invention of an apparatus for providing facilities gas lines to a plurality of processing chambers. The apparatus is a modular gas panel closet comprising a rack having at least one modular gas control panel coupled to the rack. A plurality of gas control panel feeds is coupled between the facilities gas lines and having at least one gas control panel. Process gases are provided to individual chambers by a plurality of chamber gas lines are respectively coupled between at least one gas control panel and the plurality of processing chambers.
Each modular gas control panel is preassembled and tested prior to installation onto the modular gas panel closet. In this manner each modular gas control panel is a subassembly that may be easily removed and installed as required. Specifically, as additional wafer processing chambers are added to or removed from a semiconductor wafer processing platform, a corresponding modular gas control panel is also added or may be removed as required. As such, the modular gas panel closet affords flexibility in that it is quickly assembled, tested, and maintained at a wafer fabrication facility.